Doppleganger
by Ailia Sparrowhawk
Summary: Alex Tennant is antisocial. David Tennant is overprotective. Alex Tennant is cold-hearted. Daivd Tennant was kidnapped. Alex Tennant is worried. The Doctor is confused.


CHAPTER ONE

_ The worst sin towards our fellow humans is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that's the essence of inhumanity._-George Bernard Shaw, The Devil's Disciple, act II.

The things at Brittan Con 2010 were shocking to say the least.

_ What the hell am I doing here?_ She though as she saw yet another costumed freak pass by, this one dressed as a Wii remote. She pursued her lips in frustration, and tried to get her nose back into her book. Sticking her headphones back into her ears, she turned the music up as high as her ears could take it, and disappeared back into the collected works of Edgar Alan Poe. Around her the costumed "freaks" into question passed her, hardly sparing her a glance, only letting their eyes linger long enough to asses that she was a girl.

She brushed her hair back, and sank even further into her crouch in the chair by the hotel's restaurant. A camera hung around the girl's neck, the weight of hit causing a red crease in her skin. Her features were attractive, though not usually so, and very sharp, with a skinny body and a harsh, angled jaw, and thin lips. She turned a page-

Her chair suddenly tipped, and she let out a small cry as she was ungracefully dumped onto the floor. "Oh, sorry!" A male voice cried, and she felt a hand grab her shoulder to help her up.

She snapped her head around, and glared at the man, who quickly withdrew his hand. He was outfitted, in a pinstripe suit, a tie, and a long brown cost. "I-I wasn't looking where I was going." He man stammered, taken aback by the girl's angry expression.

"No shock, Sherlock." The girl snapped, and popped up. "The things in your head, they're called eyes, use them."

"I'm-I'm sorry, I didn't-"The boy stammered, suddenly looking like a gazelle about to be eaten by the lion.

"No off, course you didn't mean to. You're just so incompetent that you mange to trip over everything you come in contact with." She stepped closer. "And you call this rag a costume? Please. I believe the suit was navy, not pimp lord purple. And the coat is precisely three shades darker." She looked at the boy's blond head. "You couldn't even die your hair."

He boy suddenly took off, determined to get as far away from the witch as possible. The girl looked at him with an expression of satisfaction on her face. "Good riddance." She muttered.

"Now Alex, that wasn't very nice, now was it?" She looked in the direction of the voice to see her brother walking toward her.

"You're late." She told him in a flat tone of voice. "Your panel was supposed to end at four. It is now four-thirty three."

He shrugged. "I was having a good time."

"I don't know why you would call having a bunch of screaming, idiotic fan girls pester you with questions a good time."

Her brother returned her look of annoyance. "Do you hate every one, or just the people who try to be nice?"

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not prejudiced in the slightest-I hate everyone." She looked at him. "Although I supposed you're alright."

"Oh, I'm so glad." David said sarcastically. The pair left the hotel, turning a few heads as they went, and started the walk to the parking lot. As they reached a cross walk, a pair of giggly teenage girls came up to them.

"Um, excuse me?" One of them asked. (_The braver one, _Alex thought dryly) "Are, are you David Tennant my any chance?"

David broke into a huge grin and gave them is most beaming smile. "Of course!" He said.

"Wow!" One of the girls cried, looking in Alex's eyes like a fish out of water, with her mouth hanging open and her pupils seeming to dilate. "D-do you think you could autograph our shirts?"

"Sure!" Alex's brother cried and her whipping a pen out of this pocket, and went around to the girl's back. "To…what's your name?"

"Katrina."

"To…Katrina." He signed his name and went over to the other girl, who looked like she might faint.

"DO you think we could get a picture?" Katrina asked. "My friends would never believe me-

"OH DARN THERE"S THE LIGHT." Alex suddenly cried, grabbing her brother's arm and pulling him along. David managed to give the girls his best apologetic smile as he was dragged off.

After a minute, he shook himself free of his sister's grip. "You've got to stop doing that!" He snapped at her. "It's not very nice."

"Excuse me if I object to teenagers throwing themselves all over my brother." She looked down. "Besides, I didn't want to be here in the first place."

"I had hoped that you would socialize."

"David? Let it go. Just let. It. Go."

By now they had reached the parking lot and they walked, in silence, towards the car. Alex bore a neutral, if icy expression, while David simply looked sad. They got in the car, and buckled their seatbelts, but David made no movement to turn the car on. Alex raised one questioning eyebrow.

"Alex…." David began and Alex, knowing what was coming, rolled her eyes and rested her head on the back of the chair. "Please listen to me." David said, seeing Alex's reaction. "I know we've had this conversation a million and a half times, but you've got to-"

"No David, I don't 'got to' do anything. You've the one that's got to do something. You've got to stop being an overprotective fool."Alex half-shouted, looking at the window.

"What happened to you Alex?" David asked. "You were never that social, but with your friends-with me-"

"I GREW UP!" Alex screamed at David, and he recoiled from her fiery expression. "Life happened, David! I realized that the world wasn't perfect! I realized that it's a long easier to just not deal with people at all than to take a risk and trust someone! I… realized…." She trailed off seeing the expression of absolute hurt on David's face.

"You don't trust me?" He whispered.

Alex swallowed. "No, David." She whispered back. "You're the only person I do trust."

*DW*

Before I continue with this account, there are a few things you must understand about Alexandra Camilla MacDougal. I shall not bother you with the dry tales of her fashion preferences and her favorite types of music, and simply report the details crucial to this account.

`1. Alex was-and still is- and very intelligent girl, as well as a photography protégée. She was attending s prestigious school in all honors, and she was treated with the highest respect. Her photos as well, were quickly growing in acclaim.

2. Alex is the sister of an actor named David Tennant, who, for many years, could only land small roles. Then, when he was thirty one, he got this big break. He is currently known as the face of the tenth Doctor on the sci-fi television show called Doctor Who.

3. David had been asked for auto grasp on the street many times, as many people noticed that he bore an uncanny resemblance to the tenth Doctor. Indeed, young children could be heard excitedly telling their mothers that they say the tenth Doctor. However, the mothers always horribly explain to their children that it was just an actor. But there wouldn't be a story if there wasn't a mix-up.

4. Finally, before an event that Alex would forever refer to as That Day, she was a happy, if not very social, child. She had her small group of friends, and lived a content life, even if she was more introverted than other children. She had a brother 15 years her senior who adored her, and a loving mother as father.

As I said, Alex refers to it as That Day, but we shall know it by a different name- the day her parents were killed.

It was a curious day for Alex, so curious that her parents would only say that they were going out for dinner, and to not stay up to late, and the David you make sure Alex gets to bed, and that they never came back. It was curious that her parent's life would be ended in a vehicle that was supposed to keep them safe and ferry them from place to place. It was curious how with one change, her whole life could be uprooted.

And, follow That Day, Alex and David both made a conscious decision which shall be listed as follows:

David chose to hold on to, with all his might, the one family member he had left. From then one, Alex was rarely seen from her brother's side, and he doted over her little sister, devoting himself to protecting her in every way.

Alex chose to let go of everything and everyone that mattered to her, deciding that if a similar tragedy should befall someone of her acquaintance, it would be better not to know them at all, than to have known them dearly and suffered from their loss. And, while this may sound insane, and not the sort of decision a very smart child might make, it starts to make perfect sense when you have cried so much that you don't feel that you have any tears left in you, and you have not gotten wink of sleep in a week. And it does make some sort of sense; if you did not know the person, how could you have cried over them?

We do not know exactly when Alex started to make this decision, but we do know that sometime after her parent's death, Alex chose treat everyone with absolute indifference, never letting her get close to anyone.

*DW*

Dinner was a quiet and unappetizing affair. Both Alex and David could not cook at all, and after the fiasco with the chicken (they ended up calling the fire department) Alex and David decided that they would live on a diet of Chinese takeout. The air was tense after their argument, and neither one said anything for a long time. Then, finally feeling obliged to say something, David spoke.

"So there's cast party in a few weeks." He said. "It's for the end of the season and my run on the show. You'll get to meet the cast and crew, as well as the new members of the show. Want to come?"

"No." Alex said, not even looking up from her food.

"Actually that's not an option."

This time Alex looked up, an expression of mild surprise and curiosity on her face. "What?"

"I said that's not an option. Like it or not, you're coming with me."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "And how do you suppose you're going to get away with that?"

"By bribing you with five thousand dollars and using force if nessicary. Also, you have to talk to people. And insulting them creatively does not count as talking."

"Damn." Alex muttered under her breath. She scowled at him. "Why are you so determined that I socialize with other people?"

"Because Alex, you have no life!" David said, striking his hand across that table. "You're 19 years old, and you have no friends! You push yourself away from everyone! You-"

"I don't need friends." She snapped. "I'm fine on my own."

"No you're not." David snapped back. "You're not happy Alex, you're just…." He sighed and looked down. "You're not living Alex."

Alex opened her mouth to say something, and then closed it. Her feelings were in turmoil.

_I'm not living… I'm hiding._

_ Yes and when you live, you hurt._ Whispered a small, whiney voice in her head. _Didn't you learn that lesson?_

_ David's living._ Alex's more confident part of her subconscious objected. _Maybe I can too._

_ David's going to be hurt sooner or later. You just wait. He'll wish he made the same decision as you._

_ But…_

_ Shut up stupid girl! _The nasty part of her brain snapped. _You want to be hurt again?_

"…ex. Alex?" She realized that David was calling her name. "Alex?" He asked again, softly, with a hint of concern.

She was frightened then, and stoop up, a well of conflicting emotions. "I-I'm feeling tired." She stuttered, happy for any excuse to get her out of the situation. "I'm going to bed." She hustled off to her room.

David sighed and put his head in his hand. There were times, wonderful times, were she was the old Alex, and she had the same spitfire wit and cynical sense of humor, harsh but wonderfully funny and enjoyable. Some days he thought he was making progress. Other days he thought she would never come back.

He sat in the chair, looking at the half-eaten food and dirty silverware, until he slipped into the realm of his own subciontious, into merciful sleep.

*DW*

David woke up, feeling the crick in his neck instantly. He blinked his eyes a few times and shook his head, unsure for a moment of where he was. A second later, his brain processed his surroundings, and he let his head fall back onto the chair.

But, good God did is neck hurt….

Sighing he slowly raised himself upright, stumbling a bitter from sleepiness. He turned go to his bed, when a bright light coming from the window caught his eye. He stumbled towards it, throwing open the curtains, his face lighting up with childish delight when he saw that it had snowed.

He excitedly ran to Alex's room-then stopped. Considering the state his sister was in, he didn't think she would appreciate being woken up and three A.M. He back out slowly, but not before watch her sigh peacefully in her sleep, and he left with a smile.

Pulling on his coat and grabbing his phone (if he fell and broke his leg on the ice, how would be call for help?), and ran out, and was immediately amazed by the winter wonderland. The snow was knee high, and his footsteps made deep imprints. It almost resembled as if the world had been turned into a giant angel food cake. He laughed and ran in the snow, turning around of corner-

-then stopped.

Those were **not** two life size Dales before him.

Oh, for the love of God, will the fans never leave him alone?

He stepped slowly backwards, in the hope that the fans inside the Dales wouldn't see him (or it could be Moffat, he remembered when he hired a group of actors to dress up as the weeping angels on April fool's day and terrorize people. Unfortunately for him, Alex was with David at the time, and her fear of the angels combined with Davies spiking her drink with scotch lead to her knocking out one of the actors with a shovel…oh, it was brilliant.) However, his foot landed right on a particularly crunchy piece of snow and the Dales turned around.

"DOC-TOR-IDEN-TIFIED!" One of them screamed. "YOU-WILL-COME-WITH-US!"

David sighed and tried to be polite. "Alright guys this is awesome," he said, not even bothering to slip into his English accent, "But it's bloody early, and I'm cold, so how about we save this for later, maybe at about eight-"

"THE-DOCTOR-WILL-NOT-TALK!" The other Dale snapped. "YOU-WILL-COME-WITH-US!"

David sighed and turned around. "Seriously, I'm tired, I'm cold, and I'm getting sick of this, so I'm just going to-"But he didn't have the time to finish the stance before he felt a streak of pain, harsh and biting, across his lower back. He barely had time to turn around before he cracked his head across the concrete, and was thrown into uncontuisness.


End file.
